C.H.A.M.P. Awards shine light on masterful marketing efforts from 2022-23 season
Mono, Ont. – To celebrate and honour achievements in marketing and promotions during the 2022-23 campaign, Ontario University Athletics (OUA) is pleased to announce this year’s C.H.A.M.P. Award recipients.
Best G1 Championship – Queen’s Gaels, Critelli Cup
In front of 2,100 fans decked out in the Tricolour, the Queen’s Gaels women’s basketball team took on the Carleton Ravens in a battle for the Critelli Cup.
While describing the phenomenal atmosphere of the event, Gaels head coach Claire Meadows was quoted after the game saying, ‘This is bigger than basketball. We’re having a big impact on the community and it was felt in the gym tonight.”
Not only was the Athletics and Recreation Centre packed, but the Critelli Cup was Queen’s third-highest viewed webcast of the season, generating a live audience of over 1,500 viewers. To support both elements, the Gaels events team prepared for the festivities with VIP seating, professional accreditation, a full social media and broadcast team, in-game and half-time activations, as well as half-time and post-game interviews on the broadcast.
Best G2 Championship – Brock Badgers, Quigley Cup
On March 11th, the Queen’s Gaels travelled to St. Catharines to take on the Brock Badgers for the Quigley Cup. In front of a sold out crowd at the Bob Davis Gym, the two teams put on a show for over 600 people in attendance and more watching on OUA.tv and CBC.
What looked like a game that the visitors may run away with after the opening two sets, the host Badgers rallied behind a boisterous crowd that helped urge the home team on to the thrilling five-set victory – an atmosphere that every championship desires.
The Brock team worked diligently to cover the game with two professional photographers and full social media team covering the game for both Twitter and Instagram, meaning everyone could enjoy the excitement of the matchup.
Best G3 Championship – Ontario Tech Ridgebacks, Women’s Curling
The Ontario Tech Ridgebacks went above and beyond when hosting the Women’s Curling Championship in February.
The hosts created their own materials to give the event a professional feel, but they also included social engagement for the athletes. Their efforts extended into the community as well, as they developed a fundraiser that donated a pound of food for every blank end in the tournament, an initiative that ended up with 971 meals delivered to the local community.
The Ridgebacks streamed the semifinals, bronze medal, and gold medals games for fans to enjoy as well, and also had beloved mascot Hunter the Ridgeback on site to throw out the first stone of the tournament. Following the event, Ontario Tech also supported the host of the Men’s Curling Championship with their marketing material to ensure a similar feel for both weekends.
Photo of the Year – Marisa Settimi, McMaster Marauders
On a field that was blanketed with fog, photographer Marisa Settimi captured a moment to remember.
The McMaster Marauders men’s soccer team earned the chance to play for an OUA title and a bid to the U SPORTS Championship with a thrilling semifinal victory. The corresponding photo of the year not only shows the emotion of the victory and the connection between teammates during the celebration, but perfectly captures the unique conditions at Ron Joyce Stadium in a game that will be talked about for years to come.
Video Feature of the Year – McMaster Marauders, Men’s Volleyball: All-Access
The 2022-23 best video feature, which was the second most viewed reel of the season, followed the McMaster Marauders men’s volleyball team on their path to hosting the U SPORTS Championships with Episode 1 being released the day prior to the start of the national event.
Filmed and edited by Colin Wouda, the all-access feature let fans behind the scenes of what it is like for student-athletes in a dominant program and the demands to maintain that standard. It also spotlights a decorated head coach, Dave Preston, in his final season, culminating with a home national championship.
Outstanding Promotional Video – Carleton Ravens, ‘What’s a Gee-Gee’
Generating over 20,000 views on Facebook and Instagram, the outstanding promotional video for the year asked youth campers the hard-hitting question in the nation’s capital – What is a Gee-Gee?
In a collaboration between Carleton Athletics and Recreation, the ‘Talking with Campers’ series released the video ahead of the Capital Hoops Classic, creatively engaging students, alumni, and the community ahead of the rivalry series game at TD Place. The playful video not only builds on this storied rivalry, but also helped grow the strong following of the Ravens brand by engaging over 8,000 non-followers on social media.
Best Webcast Production – Queen’s Gaels
Ranking at the top of the OUA members in live viewing hours at over 24,000, as well as live viewing audience at 30,000, the Queen’s Gaels produced a total of 103 total broadcasts across 11 different sports on OUA.tv during the 2022-23 season.
Alumni, parents, and supporters the opportunity to get up close and personal with their teams thanks to the Gaels’ multi-angle camera coverage, replays, quality commentary, in-game interviews, and even the use of drone footage for additional coverage.
Best Webcast Announcer – Matt Sookram, Nipissing Lakers
As the voice of Nipissing Lakers hockey and soccer throughout the 2022-23 campaign, Matt Sookram was tremendous in supporting, promoting, and endorsing Lakers Athletics.
Sookram has the voice and the knowledge to deliver a polished and professional call to OUA.tv viewers and ensures Lakers student-athletes get the recognition they deserve for their outstanding play. Not only that, but Sookram and the athletic department are consistently compliment on his ability to correctly pronounce all players names during games, proving once again that he takes the time and care to provide a top-tier webcast for viewers of both the home and visiting sides.
Best Social Media Account – Ottawa Gee-Gees Football, Instagram
The Ottawa Gee-Gees football team’s Instagram account captured the complete essence of what a season has to offer. As a result, they achieved remarkable growth and engagement that is exemplary of what a team-specific social media account can achieve in today’s social landscape.
Gaining 1,300 followers over the course of the season, boosting their total account number to 7,400, Gee-Gees football shared a mix a behind-the-scenes videos, built narratives, showcased the excitement of the sport, and pulled back the curtain for their followers.
The Instagram account garnered over 1.7 million impressions, reached 603,000 total users, and saw video content receive 641,000 plays throughout the season, including a feature for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation from quarterback Ben Maracle that collected 42,000 plays and 2,000 likes on its own.
Best Theme Night – Lakehead Thunderwolves, Indigenous Cultural Celebration Night
The best theme night is presented to a school that, from concept to execution, delivers a memorable experience, and the Lakehead Thunderwolves checked those boxes and more as part of their Indigenous Cultural Celebration Night.
On February 17th, the Lakehead hosted the Algoma Thunderbirds for a basketball double-header and the first ever Indigenous Cultural Celebration Night that welcomed over 1,000 ticket holders into the Thunderdome.
Highlighted by uniforms that were specially designed by Anishinaabe artist Jacenia Desmoulin, the event featured a welcome address from an Elder, traditional Indigenous drumming and dancing at halftime, and a local school choir singing the national anthem in Ojibwe. The event was capped off with a jersey auction that saw over $5,000 raised for Indigenous Youth and the BIPOC Scholarship Initiative at Lakehead.
Best Mascot – Hunter the Ridgeback, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks
No stranger to this award, Hunter the Ridgeback takes home the best mascot nod for a third time and remains the only mascot to earn the honour more than once.
As a very active member on the Ontario Tech campus, in the community, and with the fans, the blue canine also launched his very own Kid’s Club this season, holding his first pizza party with its members at a team home game. Additionally, Hunter has helped to ‘up the ante’ at home games, setting off team-coloured smoke bombs at soccer games, starting a Viking clap using the branded team drum, and was present at every soccer, basketball, and hockey home game.
Within his busy schedule, he attended 45 community events over the year and was featured on his own giveaway shirt, which was in such high demand from fans that more were ordered for a second game.
Best Fan Support Group – Lakehead Thunderwolves
When combining a strong student fan-base, a town rich in sports culture, and a passionate group of alumni, the result is award worthy for the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
The Thunderwolves fans have creating long-standing traditions, including their annual ‘White Out’ game, where fans will read a newspaper during the opposing team’s introductions, and as soon as the team scores their first basket, fans rip up the paper and throw it in the air as confetti – an experience that has fans coming back again and again.
Whether it be a collaboration with Lakehead Residence Life to bring student fan buses to games, calls for alumni to support their Thunderwolves on the road, or their ever-growing social media presence to bring the community members to home games, the Thunderwolves have never failed to fill the arena.
The complete list of 2022-23 OUA C.H.A.M.P. Awards recipients is as follows:
Best G1 Championship – Queen’s Gaels, Critelli Cup
Best G2 Championship – Brock Badgers, Quigley Cup
Best G3 Championship – Ontario Tech Ridgebacks, Women’s Curling
Photo of the Year – Marisa Settimi, McMaster
Video Feature of the Year – McMaster Marauders, Men’s Volleyball: All-Access
Outstanding Promotional Video – Carleton Ravens, ‘What’s a Gee-Gee’
Best Webcast Production – Queen’s Gaels
Best Webcast Announcer – Matt Sookram, Nipissing
Best Social Media Account – Ottawa Gee-Gees Football, Instagram
Best Theme Night – Lakehead Thunderwolves, Indigenous Cultural Celebration Night
Best Mascot – Hunter the Ridgeback, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks
Best Fan Support Group – Lakehead Thunderwolves